Apple Cranberry Sauce

Cranberry sauce is one of those dishes that can easily get overlooked at your Thanksgiving table. It makes the perfect accompaniment to turkey, but doesn’t shine much on its own. Cranberries are naturally very tart, so I like to add a sweetener like maple syrup or agave to brighten up the flavors a bit. I cooked the cranberries down with freshly squeezed orange juice, and added diced apples and cinnamon to boost the flavors. Go with your favorite variety of apple. I used a Fuji apple this time, and I thought it provided the right amount of sweetness compared to the cranberries. Fuji also holds up its shape nicely in the sauce. The final result makes a thick, classic cranberry sauce with a slightly fruity twist.

Happy Thanksgiving!

And the best part about cranberry sauce? You can make it a day (or two) ahead of time and the flavors will only deepen.

Heat up a saucepan with some freshly squeezed orange juice, a little water, and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Add the cranberries and bring to a low boil.

The cranberries will start to pop open, and that’s when you can add in the apples, maple syrup and cinnamon. I like to add 1/4 cup of maple syrup and then taste test for sweetness. If you want to add more, add a tablespoon at a time. Let the mixture cool to room temp before chilling in the fridge.

Use up the apple cranberry sauce within 2 weeks.

Apple Cranberry Sauce

Update your homemade cranberry sauce with apples and cinnamon for a festive twist.

Servings

10servings

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

10servings

Cook Time

15minutes

Apple Cranberry Sauce

Update your homemade cranberry sauce with apples and cinnamon for a festive twist.

Servings

10servings

Cook Time

15minutes

Servings

10servings

Cook Time

15minutes

Ingredients

3/4cuporange juicefresh or packaged

1/8cupwater

1/3cupbrown sugarpacked

12ouncescranberriesfresh, about 3 cups

1largeapplepeeled and diced

1/4cupmaple syrup

1/2tspcinnamon

Instructions

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and add in the orange juice, water, and brown sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar, about 2 minutes.

Add in the cranberries and bring to a low boil, stirring occasionally.

Once most of the cranberries have popped open, add in the apples, maple syrup, and cinnamon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Taste for sweetness and add more maple syrup as needed. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature before transferring to an airtight container. Keep chilled in the fridge.

Recipe Notes

If you're using frozen cranberries, just add about 2 minutes to the simmering time (no need to thaw).

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About Me

Hi and welcome! I’m Alison and I am the recipe developer, photographer, and food writer for the Lemon Press. I live in beautiful Bainbridge Island, Washington and can’t get enough of dark chocolate and island sunsets. Read More →